Opening a new restaurant is rarely an easy task, and for Fettle + Fare owner Amanda Vargas, who has multiple sclerosis and is legally blind, the journey to create her shop in Westfield, NJ, was extra challenging.

It was here that she created a space that is more to her than a place to find tasty, nutritious food. It’s a symbol of growth and helping others ...

New Jersey Date Night is a series on NJ Flavor by relationship writer Craig Rogers.

Everyone has a St. Patrick’s Day story. Maybe yours involves being stuck in parade traffic with your date and just one bottle of water, or maybe it was being stuck in a pub with just your sixth glass of green beer. If St. Patrick’s Day can leave behind so many great stories, then it only ...

Matthew Smith, a 9-year-old Livingston, NJ, boy with talent enough in the kitchen to stand opposite Gordon Ramsay, will appear on Season 7 of “MasterChef Junior” on FOX when it premieres on Tuesday, March 12, at 8 p.m.

Smith said his interest in the culinary arts began quite early in life. His aunt gifted him a ...

Central Jersey College Prep Job Fair is hosting a Job Fair from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3 at Central Jersey College Prep Charter School at 101 Mettlers Road in Somerset. The fair will include on-site interviews.

Walk-in registrants are welcome; however, pre-registration is recommended by visiting http://cjcollegeprep.org/jobfair/.

Mary Robinson, Founder and Executive Director of Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss, is now featured on the global networks of CNN and CNN.com as a CNN Hero. Imagine, a grief support center for children and families, is beyond thrilled that Mary is being honored in this way – and that the importance of Imagine’s mission will enjoy greater reach as word of the nonprofit spreads ...

Sergeant Art Akins’ decision to run for Somerset County Sheriff, as a Democrat, was an easy one. As a long-time proactive resident of Somerset County, he has dedicated his entire professional career to protecting his local community. The role of Sheriff will allow him to continue to serve the public on ...

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 19.7 million people ages 12 and older had a substance use disorder related to their abuse of alcohol or drugs. Identifying the signs of a substance use disorder in someone you love can be a challenge. Thomas Romanelli, Certified Alcohol and Drug ...

As the courtship season begins for peregrine falcons,residents of all ages and visitors from all over the world can observe and study one of the fastest animals on earth by, tuning in to the Union County Falcon Cam.

“The Falcon Cam is a great opportunity for residents of all ages to experience and learn about peregrine falcons up close,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski.

WEST ORANGE – Governor Murphy today announced state school aid funding for his Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposal that provides record levels of support for New Jersey schools. The Governor also used today’s news conference in the West Orange School District to showcase New Jersey’s most recent high school graduation rate, which advanced to 90.9 percent last year – the ...

I like Gov. Phil Murphy, but he's making a liar out of me. Me and millions of parents. For a couple of generations now, mothers and fathers have been warning children about the dangers of pot smoking. Now the governor comes along and tells them there is no Santa Claus.

I’ve been warning my children about pot for 20 years. That’s not exaggeration. It started when my ...

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Meg Sleeper, of Frenchtown, N.J., was appointed to the Endurance Sport Committee (ESC) by US Equestrian (USEF).

Areas of focus for the ESC include clearly defining pathways for athletes within the sport, growing the sport of endurance within the U.S., and building a strong base at the national level for endurance athletes to expand into international levels of ...

HOLLAND TWP., N.J. — Emma Scheier, 13, of Holland Township earned several awards in the Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which encourages the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers in racing or breeding.

Her horse’s registered name is Open Now, but Scheier shows him as “And Then The Stars Aligned.” Around the ...

Ironically, I came to this discovery after contemplating the purchase of a Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner. The motorized Roomba disk roams by itself around the house methodically cleaning the floor. The Roomba also seems like it could make a good pet.

But owning a robot is not for the faint of heart or the weak of silicon.

A while ago I received an urgent roadside call from my son. It was a cold and rainy night, and somewhat late. He was on his way home with my car and calling from somewhere along the side of a busy highway. I could hear cars and large trucks shuddering by him, occasionally drowning out his voice.

He wanted to know if I could bring him some gas. The car had ran out. While he was on the ...

SUMMIT, NJ – A haunting, memorable play, “The Glass Menagerie,” is given a warm, caring production at The Summit Playhouse. Under the direction of Arnold Buchiane, this Tennessee Williams play (his first notable success) weaves the story of a son, a mother and a daughter in their small shabby apartment in a corner of St. Louis in the 1930s.

CHATHAM, NJ – If you need a laugh, and who doesn’t these days, “Play On” is just right for you. In this scenario, the actors and director have assembled to put on “Murder Most Foul.” But of course, anything that can go wrong does go wrong.

SHIP BOTTOM, NJ - The Ship Bottom Land Use Board will hear an application for the development of the empty CVS store on Long Beach Boulevard from Fantasy Island owner, Wainwright Amusement, LLC, on Wednesday, March 20.

The Fantasy Island in Beach Haven is extremely popular and the CVS would be another location for family fun. The applicant plans to renovate the property and turn into ...

WARREN, NJ - AAA is reminding drivers that the change to Daylight Saving Time may create distraction on the roadway and challenges for drivers who lost an hour of sleep. Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday March 11 at 2 a.m.

“As we spring forward, drivers should be aware that the time change will also mean changes to driving habits. Some drivers may suddenly find themselves driving into ...

"Things to do with kids" is sponsored by The Goddard School of Long Hill." This column will provide a round up of interesting things to do with kids in and around the area. To kick off the column, we wanted you to get familiar with the local libraries and their weekly happenings and upcoming special events.

It is that time of year when students are receiving either their acceptance or rejection letters from colleges. Every senior student that I have seen thus far is extremely stressed awaiting the news. Some have already received their responses, while others are on a wait list.

It is important to recognize that rejection letters are out of your control. Many schools are ...

EAST BRUNSWICK – Politicians, residents and environmental groups found themselves at odds with unions over an extension of the Transco natural gas pipeline that would run through New Jersey and the Raritan Bay to New York.

Williams, the energy infrastructure company that owns and operates the Transco pipeline, wants to build a 32,000 horsepower compressor station in Franklin and 3.5 ...

A pair of American Eagles tend to their nest atop an 80-foot Sycamore tree at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, days away from the hatching of two eggs, while the courtship season has begun for a female peregrine falcon nesting on the roof of the historic 17-story Union County Courthouse in downtown Elizabeth.

The predators have achieved "rock star" status in classrooms and homes across ...

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - Rutgers University announced Tuesday that it is urging students to get a vaccination against meningitis following a state Department of Health decision to declare an outbreak of the disease because of two cases on campus this winter.

"To protect the student population, we are strongly recommending that all Rutgers–New Brunswick undergraduate students and graduate ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — A 70-year-old man who served as a priest, in Westfield, Kennilworth, North Bergen, and also at Oratory Prep School in Summit, who was later accused of sex abuse, was found shot dead at his home in Nevada, authorities said.

Officers found John Capparelli with a gunshot wound to his neck at his residence in Henderson, Nevada, on Saturday, a spokesperson ...

MORRISTOWN, NJ - The day couldn't have been better for the 40th Annual Morris County St. Patrick's Day Parade. The sun was shining, the bag pipes were playing and thousands of residents lined the streets to watch over 120 groups and organizations march down South Street and around the green on Saturday March 9.